You Could Think Differently

     We learn how to think and we learn what to think. Our thinking is augmented by a language(s) that helps us name and define objects and interpret our experiences. Influential people are a large part of the paperwork of our thinking. They tell us this or that about that or this, and we, for the most part, believe everything they tell us. What child thinks his parents are lying to him about the Easter Bunny, the tooth fairy or Santa Claus? Mom and Dad are right. Grandad knows everything about everything, or so we think, and Grandma is simply the wisest person ever. Our ministers know God on a first name basis, and they tell us what to think about Him or Her or Whatever. They also tell us what God thinks of us. Almost without exception we believe everything these God authorities say. Teachers, of course, are right up there with other "know-it-all's". 
     We respect all these pervayors of information, and rightly so. They are conceived to be bearers of truth, albeit their truth. Sometimes their truth is synonomous with the very teachers who taught them. Their truth is not something that Dad told them, it is Dad or Mom or grandma or grandpa or reverend or teacher encapsulated in ideological or conceptual form. Rejecting their truth is like rejecting the very people who taught them that truth.

Then, around the time of pubic hair and pimples, something dangerous begins to happen inside us. As we enter into our adolescent  phase of development, we begin to arrive at some conclusions that are different from our revered teachers. Our newfound conclusions often create quite a "stir" among the previously uncontested enlightenment, or establishment (as we called them in the 60's). We may feel as though we have become the enemy or vice versa. And the "stir" often results in verbal battles and punishment for thinking differently. There can be ourbursts of violence, spanking, hitting and killing. (See Kent State).

*****That kind of rigid thinking and combative behavior is what I refer to as the "Spirit of Fundamentalism", which I will write about in a future blog.*****

     Let it be known that you CAN and you SHOULD change your thinking when old ideas are not working, or old truth begins to make no sense, or when new ideas and truth comes to you. It is always prudent to examine your thinking making sure that it is based on truth, your truth, and not just hearsay or someone else's ideas. You might experience chastishment or resistance from those who may feel threathened by your change. You can be assertive in your resolve to be a Critical Thinker. You can also be gentle and patiently mindful that those resistors have been taught to think certain ways, and perhaps have never considered any other way of looking at it. They may consider their ideas sacredly synonomous with their former teachers.

    

Reading is Thinking Too

My mother thought reading was important. Still does. She is 79 years old and probably the most prolific reader in our 50 member family. When I was a kid Mother would visit the library to make sure the "Bookmobile" was going to come by our house during the summer months. Reading has always been part of my life, and is largely responsible for the way I Think.

When you are reading, you are thinking the words you are reading AND you are having thoughts about the words you are reading. You are thinking these words;the words on this page. Read these sentences out loud. "My thinking determines how I feel and what I do. My thinking is my reality. I think every moment of every day. I can learn to think thoughts that make my life truly happy and content." You read those words, you said those words and you thought those words.

You have read words that caused you to feel comforted, or humored or angry or whatever. Your thoughts were directed by the words you were reading. Reading is thinking. If you are trying to get a direction for your thinking, trying to "slow your thinking" or trying to learn how to think a certain way, I suggest you read/read/read/read. If you "hate to read" and therefore do not, I suggest you get out of your self-imposed limitation and prison of your own narcissism by picking up something worthwhile to read.

Reading thoughts that have been written is thinking too. Go ahead and do some classical thinking by reading a classic.